President Obama and “Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda rapped together at the White House Monday, and praised the entire cast for its diversity and message about America.
“And with a cast as diverse as America itself, including the outstandingly talented women, the show reminds us that this nation was built by more than just a few great men, and that it is an inheritance that belongs to all of us,” Obama said.
“In the character of Hamilton — a striving immigrant who escaped poverty, made his way to the New World, climbed to the top by sheer force of will and pluck and determination — Lin-Manuel saw something of his own family, and every immigrant family,” Obama said. “And in the Hamilton that Lin-Manuel and his incredible cast and crew bring to life — a man who is ‘just like his country, young, scrappy and hungry’ — we recognize the improbable story of America, and the spirit that has sustained our nation for over 240 years.”
Hamilton pairs the story of Alexander Hamilton with rap and hip hop.
“Rap is the language of revolution,” Obama said. “Hip-hop is the backbeat. In each brilliantly crafted song, we hear the debates that shaped our nation, and we hear the debates that are still shaping our nation. We feel the fierce, youthful energy that animated the men and women of Hamilton’s generation.”
In addition to the performance by the cast, Obama and Miranda freestyle rapped in the Rose Garden, with the president holding cue cards with words like “Obamacare,” “Congress,” “The Federalist Papers” and “Supreme Court.”
While Obama praised the show, the production has won acclaim from both Republicans and Democrats. “‘Hamilton’ I’m pretty sure is the only thing that Dick Cheney and I agree on,” Obama joked.
